Researcher to study Indian scientific history

UC researcher and Rutherford Fellow to study Indian
scientific history November 20, 2012Among the many exotic images India invokes,
mathematics isn't usually one of them.

Yet India
developed sophisticated and foundational mathematical
concepts, including the place value base ten system and
trigonometry functions that we use today.

Surprisingly little is known about the mathematics and
related subjects of this rapidly growing international
power. A University of Canterbury (UC) lecturer Dr Clemency
Montelle yesterday received an $800,000 Rutherford Discovery
Fellowship grant to look at the benefits of historical
mathematics, astronomy and science in India. She will start
her fellowship research early next year.

With an
intellectual history spreading almost 3000 years, India has
produced 30 million manuscripts over this period but very
few of these have been identified and fewer still studied in
any detail. For this and other reasons, India's intellectual
contributions to science remain conspicuously absent from
mainstream historical accounts.

``Given that this
tradition is the direct scientific legacy of over a sixth of
the world's population, rectifying this oversight is long
overdue. I intend to remedy this.

``With expertise
in ancient languages including Sanskrit and a broad
mathematical background I will work with these ancient
documents to make accessible their contents to researchers
all over the world.

``This culture of inquiry
produced mathematics in contrasting circumstances to the
West which led to some distinctly different scientific
priorities and insights. Recent scholars have dismissed
these achievements because they don't resemble what they
deem to be the exacting standards of western styles of proof
and demonstration.

``However with the emergence
of new fields of research in science, we are beginning to
realise just how pertinent all of this material is.

``By careful study and collation of key manuscripts,
translations and technical commentaries of the scientific
content, and broad contextualisation of the ideas contained
within, we will be in a better position to understand the
key contributions of this culture to the flourishing of
science.’’

As New Zealand seeks to strengthen
its relations with the India, the ramifications of
contributing to its heritage and efforts to preserve and
make accessible its historic resources cannot be
underestimated.

Sharing knowledge and expertise is a
significant way to forge new and lasting relations between
nations and enhances mutual understanding and cooperation in
many spheres, Dr Montelle said.

``This is a unique
opportunity for the University of Canterbury to assume a
lead role in such research and I will forge new and
important relationships with key Indian tertiary
institutions such as IIT-Mumbai and the Chennai Mathematical
Institute.’’

Her project is in the spirit of
recent governmental strategies to enhance educational links
with India. The new NZ-India Research Institute has been
welcomed by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce. The
inaugural meeting of the India-New Zealand Education Council
in Delhi recently discussed how to boost cooperation between
the two nations. | website: www.canterbury.ac.nz

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